Vehicle doorlatch



Aug. 6, 1935. H. w. RIGHTMYER VEHICLE DOORLATCH Filed June 21, 1933 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 PAT'ENT OFFICE VEHICLE DOORLATCH Holden W. Rightmyer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The American Swiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 21, 1933, Serial No. 676,861 I 6Claims. (01.292-167) This invention relates to door latches, but particularly to latches for automobile doors, and an object is to produce a simple and efficient latch of this character by which the outside handle can be rendered inoperative by actuation of the inside handle insuch manner that before the outside handle can be released the latching bolt must be moved in a retracting direction.

Another object is to produce a new and improved door latch particularly adapted for automobiles, and similar vehicles, having the novel features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described.

For purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing, in which- The figure is a-side elevation of a door latch and remote control device with a portion of the latch mechanism broken away to show the construction.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a door latch of the type adapted to embrace the run-Way for the window pane, and usually referred to as around-the-glass latch. As shown, the case plate In has a flange II at one edge thereof provided with an opening through which a bolt head |2 extends. Extending inwardly over the plate It) from the flange I is a plate i3, which covers a portion of the plate Ill. The flange is'likewise cut away to provide an opening M to aflord vertical rocking movements of a U-shaped link l5 which is pivoted respectively to the plates H! and |3, and to which is connected the usual handle shaft or spindle for retracting the bolt from the outside of the door. Only so much of the mechanism is shown on the drawing as to enable those skilled in this art clearly to understand the invention, so that further description and illustration of the conventional link or yoke I5 is not deemed necessary. Sufilce it to.say that this link is adapted to be operated from the outside of the door through theusual handle. Forming a part of the link l5 at the end portion adjacent the 'case plate i0, is a roll back extension l6, one end of which is adapted to abut against the flange H and the opposite edge of which is engageable with the flange ll of a bolt plate Ill. The bolt plate I8 is secured by rivets Hi to the head l2, and is guided for horizontal reciprocatingmovements by ears, such as 20, struck up from the case plate In. A pin or rivet 2| is fixed to the case plate l0, and extends into a horizontally elongate slot 22 in the bolt plate. The latch bolt is urged to latching position by a spiral'spring 23 mounted on the case plate l0 and bearing at one end against the rear end of the bolt head l2.

Retraction of the latch bolt from the inside of the door is accomplished through a remote control mechanism including an arm 24, which is pivoted at one end to a plate 25 and. at the other end to one end of .a horizontal strap or link 26, the opposite end of which has a pin or rivet 21 disposed in a horizontally elongate slot 28 in the bolt plate l8. It will be understood that the 10 usual handle is secured to one end of a shaft 28 which is rigid with the arm 24-, and by rocking the same in one direction the latch bolt is retracted againstthe force of the spring 23. Cooperating with the plate 25 to hold the arm 24 in the desired position is a plate 29, which has a spring 30 engageable with the edge of the arm 24 for urging the same to intermediate or normal position when the arm is rocked in a non-boltretracting direction, a notch 3| in the edge of the arm 24 being engageable by the spring 30 for yieldingly retaining the arm in the desired position.

Upon actuation of the remote control arm 24 in a non-bolt retracting direction or in a direc- 25 tion to the left of the figure, bolt retracting movement of the outside operated roll back I6 is blocked through mechanism hereinafter described. Adjacent the notch 3| is a cam surface 33, which earns the arm back to upright position after the same is rocked to dog the outside roll back.

Pivoted intermediate its ends on the rivet 2| beneath the bolt plate I8, is a substantially V shaped lever 34, the lower arm of which is pro- 35 .vided with an outwardly extending flange 35 for engaging the underside of an extension 36 which projects outwardly and downwardly from the pivotal mounting of the roll back l6, this portion being notched at 31 to receive the flange 35 for ,5 this purpose. A flange 38 extends inwardly from b the inner edge of the lower arm of the lever 34 adjacent the flange 35, and is so positioned as to receive the inner end of the strap 26 so that when this strap 26 is moved to the left of the figure it engages the flange 38 and rocks the lever 34 in a clockwise direction to move the flange 35 into engagement with the roll back extension 36. When the arm-34 is in this position rocking movement of the roll back I6 to retract the latch a bolt is blocked or prevented, thereby rendering inoperative actuation of the outside door handle.

Suitable means is provided for releasably retaining the lever 34 in roll-back-blocking position, and, in this instance, a knob 39 on the case 5 dered possible.

plate I0 is disposed adjacent the upper arm of the lever 34 and upon which such arm rides thereby to impose suificient friction on the arm 34 for holding it in the desired position against jars and vibration of the vehicle. It is to be understood that other means may be employed for this purpose, but the frictional engagement between the knob 39 and the arm is found adequate for the purpose, and is of advantage in view of the low manufacturing cost.

In operation, it is understood that rocking movement of the U-shaped link or yoke I5 through the roll back i6 enables retraction of the latch bolt head i2 against the force of the spring 23, and retraction may also be effected from the inside of the door through the remote control unit, which is effective to move the strap or link 26 to the right of the figure, causing retraction movement of the bolt head l2. When it is desired to block movement of the outside-operated handle or roll back I6, the remote handle is turned in a non-bolt-retracting direction, thereby moving the arm 24 to theleft of the figure and causing the rivet 21 to move to the left in the slot 28. Upon engagement of the flange 38 on the V-shaped lever 34 by the extreme inner end of the strap 26 and by further movement thereof the lever 34 is rocked to move the flange 35 against the roll back extension 36 and thereby block bolt-retracting movement of the roll back It. As above explained, the arm 361 is held in this position due to the frictional engagement between the arm and the knob 39. 'After the arm 24 has been moved in a roll-back-blocking direction and released, the cam surface 33 will cause the arm 24 to return to normal or intermediate position.

It is apparent that in order for the dogging arm or lever 34 to be moved away from dogging position, the latch bolt must be moved in a retracting direction, and for the purpose of camming or moving the dogging arm 35 out of dogging position, an ear (i0 is struck out of the bolt plate I3 and is disposed in such position and is so arranged that when the bolt is moved in a retracting direction it engages the flange 35 and cams the dogging arm in a counterclockwise direction, thereby moving the same out of rollback-blocking position. It is not necessary that the bolt be completely retracted for the dogging arm to be released, but a partial movement thereof will suflice.

An advantage of this construction resides in the fact that when the outside handle is dogged, it is not possible to effect a release thereof until the inside handle is moved in a direction to retract the bolt and against the tension of the spiral spring 23. Heretofore, in latches of this character, movement of the inside handle to its normal or intermediate position was sufficient to effect this purpose, and, consequently, a wire or string may be inserted through a crack in the window opening, and, by slight movement of the inside handle, release of the outside handle is ren- In accordance with this invention it is not possible so easily to release the outside handle because actuation of the inside handle against the force of a relatively stiff spring is necessary before the outside operated roll back can be released. It will be further understood that upon slamming of i re door the outside operated roll back will be released since the ear 40 will move the dogging arm 34 out of dogging position, thereby obviating the liability of accidentally locking the door and rendering necessary locking of the door from the inside when in closed position.

It is to be understood that the above description is given merely by way of illustration, and numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A door latch comprising a tensioned latch bolt, inside operated means for retracting said bolt, outside operated means for retracting said bolt, a dogging member independent of said inside means movable to and from position to block movement'of said outside operated means, means movable with said bolt for moving said dog away from dogging position, means to retain said dog in dogging position independently of movement of said inside means, and a connection between said inside operated means and said bolt enabling movement thereof in a non-bolt-retracting direction, said connection being so arranged as to enable actuation of said dogging member to dogging position, and movement away therefrom without imparting movement to said dogging member.

2. A door latch comprising a tensioned latch bolt, inside operated means for retracting said bolt, outside operated means for retracting said bolt, a pivotally mounted dogging member separable from said inside means movable to and from position to block movement of said outside operated means, friction means for releasably retaining said dogging means in dogging position, cam means movable with said bolt for moving said dogging member away from dogging position during retracting movement of said bolt, and link means actuated by said inside operated means for moving said dog to dogging position, said last means having lost motion relative to said bolt and engageable therewith for retracting same.-

3. A door latch comprising a tensioned latch bolt, an outside operated means for retracting said bolt, inside operated means for retracting said bolt including a remote control unit and link leading therefrom to said bolt, a pivotally mounted dogging member separate from said inside means movable to and from position to block movement of said outside operated means, means movable with said bolt for moving said dogging member away from dogging position, means for releasably holding said dog in dogging position, means providing lost motion between said link and bolt affording movement of said link in a non-bolt retracting direction to enable movement of said dogging member to dogging position, and means on said remote control unit adapted to return said link to normal position upon movement of said dog to dogging position.

4. A door latch comprising a tensioned latch bolt, insideoperated meansfor retracting said bolt, outside operated means for-retracting said bolt, a substantially V-shaped dogging member having one end thereof engageable with said outside operating means for blocking movement thereof, a pivotal mounting for said dog, means for releasably retaining said dogging member in dogging position, a cam surface on said bolt engageable with-said dog for moving same away from dogging position upon retraction of said bolt, and means having lost motion relative to said bolt and actuated by said inside operated means for actuating said dog to dogging position upon said lost motion.

5. In a door latch, a latch bolt. .an outside operated roll back therefor, a dog for blocking said roll back, inside operated bolt-retracting means having lost motion relative to said bolt when the latter is projected and adapted to move said dog to blocking position by such lost motion, said dog being movable independently of said inside means away from blocking position and being adapted to remain in locking position when said inside means returns to normal position, means on said bolt engageable with said dog upon retraction of said bolt by said inside means for moving said dog away such that the inside means moves in non-bolt retracting direction to actuate said dog to operative position and is adapted to return to normal position without moving said dog from operative position, and movement of said dog away from operative position is eflected only upon retracting movement of said bolt.

6. In a door latch, a latch belt, a roll back, a roll-back-blocking dog, a bolt retractor having lost motion relative to said bolt in a reverse direction thereby to move said dog to operative position, means independent of said retractor for hold;- ing said dog in operative position, and bolt-carried means for returning said dog to inoperative position upon retraction of said bolt by said retractor.

HOLDEN W. RIGHTMYER. 

